Dutch Flower Exports Jump 13% in October on Russia, Working Days

Nov. 19 (Bloomberg) -- The Netherlands’ flower and plant
exports, the world’s biggest, jumped 13 percent in October as
the month had two more business days than a year earlier and as
shipments of greenery to Russia increased.

Shipments climbed to 435.1 million euros ($555.8 million)
from 384.9 million euros in October 2011, the Aalsmeer,
Netherlands-based Dutch Agricultural Wholesale Board for Flowers
and Plants wrote in an online report dated Nov. 16.

Flower sales to Russia are helping compensate for falling
exports to southern European countries including Italy and Spain
as Europe’s debt crisis hurts consumer confidence.

“That the economic crisis is hitting hardest in southern
Europe can also be felt in flower and plant exports from the
Netherlands,” the board wrote. “Due to religious holidays at
the start of November the value decline of flowers to Italy in
October was limited to 1 percent.”

Exports to Russia, the biggest client for Dutch flowers and
plants outside the EU, jumped 39 percent to 21.1 million euros,
the board’s data showed. Shipments rose 34 percent in the first
10 months of the year to 221.2 million euros.

Flower and plant sales to Italy, the fourth-biggest market
for Dutch greenery, rose 12 percent to 40.6 million euros on
increased demand for potted plants. Exports in the 10-month
period fell 3.7 percent to 255.6 million euros.

Germany, Europe’s largest economy, is the biggest market
for flowers from the Netherlands. Dutch flower and plant exports
to the country rose 13 percent last month to 114.3 million
euros, and climbed 5.9 percent in the January-October period to
1.44 billion euros.

“The sales to Germany are mainly contributed to the higher
purchasing price,” the board wrote. “In units there is hardly
an increase, according to exporters.”

Monthly exports to Spain fell 16 percent to 10.2 million
euros after an increase on the value-added tax on flowers,
according to the product board.